Formby Squirrels Rotary give £1,000 to support Southport Lifeboats

On Thursday 24th August, the Formby Squirrels Rotary Club took a trip to Southport. After dining on fish and chips at the Swan, on Stanley Street, the club called in at the Southport Lifeboat to meet the crew. After an informative chat about the independent lifeboat service, club members were invited on board the rescue boat where Dave Bosworth the immediate past president of Formby Squirrels presented a cheque for a thousand pounds to the Southport Lifeboat cox and crew.

It was interesting to learn just how many totally independent lifeboat stations there are around the UK. These stations receive no funding from the RNLI. If we wish to support them, we must do so directly. The Southport Lifeboat primarily covers the coast from Liverpool Docks up to Lytham St Anne’s working in conjunction with the RNLI boats from New Brighton and Lytham St Anne’s as required.

The main rescue boat is one of the fastest in the country but is now ten years old and the salt water and pounding of the waves are taking their toll. She is now due for a refit that could cost £50,000. The crew have recently had to be equipped with a more reliable pager system, costing £200 each. Not bad if you say it quickly, but they needed over 20 of them. There has never been a better time to show your support for our local lifeboat team.

Dave Bosworth said that the Formby Squirrels are keen to ensure that the funds that they raise locally are used to benefit local people and as such the support of the lifeboat fits this objective very well aiding local people and visitors to our area.

If you are interested in supporting local charities whilst socialising and having some fun, you may like to consider joining a local Rotary Club. The Formby Squirrels are of the new generation of Rotary Club. We are informal and friendly. Our main club meetings are held at 7:30pm on the second Thursday of each month, in The Grapes, Formby. You can look us up on Facebook or to find out more, drop us an email on rotaryformbysquirrels@gmail.com